PepsiCo axes stevia-sweetened Gatorade lines in US

PepsiCo admits that it discontinued its Natural Gatorade drinks G Natural and G2 last November as the products did not resonate with their core consumer group of athletes.

PepsiCo withdrew the products last November - which were launched with a fanfare around three years before with 'natural flavors and ingredients'.

Pressed for reasons why the withdrawal took place - presence of stevia not appealing to core consumers, limited interest in a 'natural' product? - a PepsiCo spokesman said Gatorade was "committed to fueling athletic performance"​.

"Through continued engagement with athletes on their fueling needs, we found that Gatorade Naturals and G2 Naturals did not resonate with this core consumer. We decided to discontinue those products. We will continue to grow the Gatorade brand and push innovation,"​ he added.